PEARL HARBOR—The Center for Security Forces Detachment Pearl Harbor sponsored a family-friendly Halloween haunted ship experience as an outreach event for the local community. The event was held in the historical Hanger 54 on Ford Island, Oct. 30.
“It’s been more than five years since the detachment has done a haunted ship event, so it was great to see we were able to get back on track this year,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mantas Rysevas, officer in charge at Detachment Pearl Harbor.
The staff transformed the detachment’s ship simulator, commonly called the “ship-in-a-box," used to train security force personnel, into a haunted ship. Some features include a smokey engineering space, a creepy medical space, and a galley where a character called “The Butcher” would be waiting.
“The team, which included detachment Sailors and a few family members, did an amazing job at laying out and creating a haunted ship environment,” said Rysevas.
The team effort to transform the simulator into a haunted ship took about a week. Two team members, Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Tanner Thomas and Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Morgan Ferguson, were instrumental in planning and executing the transition process.
“Tell all of the scarers they did a really good job,” said Kianna Oakes, and “Y’all should do this next year,” expressed Kyle Hernandez. Other participants exited the haunted ship laughing and took a moment to express how much they enjoyed the exhibit to a waiting staff member.
“At the end of the day, it is all about the kids and placing smiles on their faces,” said Rysevas. “We have an amazing asset with our ship-in-a-box trainer and being able to transform it into a Navy-themed haunted ship for kids and adults to enjoy. I hope we can continue this tradition next year as well.”
The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 20,000 students each year in Force Protection, Expeditionary Warfare, Code of Conduct, Law Enforcement, and Small Craft Operations. It has training locations across the United States and worldwide: "Where Training Breeds Confidence."